Among card connectors, especially PCMCIA standard connectors that have been widely used in notebook type personal computers in recent years, most card connectors in practical use are equipped with an ejection mechanism that ejects cards accommodated within the card connectors. Most ejection mechanisms have a sliding bar that is accommodated on a side surface of the card connector in a manner that allows sliding there along. The card can be ejected by pushing the sliding bar inwardly from a card-accommodating end of the card connector. An operating button is attached to the end of the sliding bar in order to allow manual operation at the card-accommodating end. The operating button has been improved so that it does not protrude from the card connector or the housing of the card connector; this is done mainly in order to prevent inadvertent electrical disconnection of the card when the card is accommodated within the card connector.
One example of an operating button of a card connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 9-147977. The operating button has a first member which is fastened to a sliding bar, and a second member which can pivot approximately 90 degrees between an up position and a down position further toward the end than the first member. When the card connector accommodates a card, protrusion of the second member can be prevented by the person pivoting the second member from the up position to the down position. However, a person will forget to pivot the second member of the button when a card is accommodated, thus causing inadvertent ejection of the card from the card connector.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an eject button for use in a card connector which is free of the problems described above, and which makes it possible to minimize the work required for card accommodation.